Featured Recipe
Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
By Kate
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A rustic mix of homemade cornbread, toasted biscuits, and savory sausage. Tossed with sautéed onion and celery, fresh herbs, eggs, broth, and a creamy binder. Baked until golden and bubbling. Toasting bread components separately to lock texture, using a blend of cornmeal and flour for moist but sturdy cornbread. Sausage browned crisp for flavor pockets. Onions sweat slowly to sweetness before herbs hit. Cream of mushroom swapped in, adding earthiness. Slightly reduced sugar, replaced white with honey. Oven temps adjusted to coax best crumb and even bake. Timeframes flexible depending on dough feel and bread dryness. Steps reshuffled for efficiency. The kind of dish that smells like home, thick with sausage fat and butter in the air. If biscuits dry out too fast, cover with foil halfway. Use chicken thighs instead of sausage for a leaner option. Let the stuffing rest before serving so flavors settle and texture firms up.
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Prep:
55 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
Serves:
10 servings
Thanksgiving
sides
comfort food
baking
Introduction
Bread cubes first, toasting brings that vital crunch that stops stuffing from going gummy. Cornmeal here a foundation, not a star, mixed with flour for sturdier crumb. Rich sausage cuts through subtle sweetness, herbs punch up the background. Onions and celery, sweat until soft and shiny, coax out their gentle natural sugars—turn sharp aroma to mellow scent. You need toaster steps to manage moisture and crunch balance—skip this and get a soggy mess. Mixing the wet binder just so, keeps stuffing pieces intact, custardy. Toss everything gently, no beating. Final bake bakes out binds, browns edges; watch and feel for sheen on top rather than relying on clocks. Bread cubes golden, sausage browned, onion glossy—a sign to start assembly. Small tweaks to temps, baking times, and ingredients keep things responsive—you’re cooking sense, not a factory machine. Leftovers reheat fine, moisture can be adjusted with broth splash then re-crisp in oven. A kitchen workout but worth the scent and texture payoffs.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Cornmeal texture matters; coarser adds corn bite, finer blends smoother but less chew. Honey replaces sugar, giving a mellow note and deeper caramelization. Using biscuits is for quick bread; stale rolls or crusty bread can work but might soak up more broth—adjust liquid accordingly. Sausage is salty and fatty, draining excess fat can save the dish from getting greasy. Olive oil for sausage pan adds flavor, but butter gives richness if preferred. Dried herbs hold longer shelf life and stronger flavors; fresh herbs can be used but add at the end of cooking onions to preserve brightness. Cream of mushroom injects earthiness, switching from chicken soup adds complexity but if you lack it, classic cream of chicken or béchamel sauce works. Milk in batter ensures moist cornbread, but buttermilk imparts a tangy bite if you want a sharper flavor profile. Keep eggs at room temp—helps emulsify wet batter and ensures even cooking in final bake.
Method
Bake base bread
- Preheat oven to 395°F. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and honey in a large bowl. Melt butter, whisk with eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Make well in dry mix, pour wet ingredients inside. Stir gently to avoid tough batter—lumps okay. Pour into greased 9x13 dish. Bake until golden and springy to touch, roughly 22-25 minutes. The crust should crack slightly but not dry out.
- Cool completely. Cut cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Spread cubes on ungreased baking sheet in a single layer. Toast at 310°F for about 17 minutes until edges crisp but interior still tender. Watch closely; once toasted, remove and transfer to large bowl.
- Bake biscuits as per package at about 375°F until just browned. Let cool, then cube. Toast biscuit cubes at 310°F for 12-14 minutes. They should feel dry and crunchy but not burnt. Add to cornbread cubes bowl.
- Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage in chunks, breaking it up. Brown thoroughly until fat renders and edges crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer sausage directly onto bread mixture—don’t stir yet.
- In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add diced onion and celery. Sweat gently over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until translucent and slightly soft but not colored. Add sage, thyme, black pepper—let herbs toast briefly (30 seconds) releasing aroma. Pour veggie and herb mixture over sausage and bread.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 2 eggs, chicken broth, and cream of mushroom soup until homogenous. Pour over combined bread and sausage mixture. Fold gently using a spatula to coat evenly but keep bread structure intact. Overmixing will turn it pasty.
- Transfer everything to a greased baking dish. Spread evenly but not compressed. Bake uncovered at 370°F for about 28-33 minutes. Edges should bubble and brown nicely, center set but moist—not soupy or dry. Let cool 10 minutes before serving to let custard firm.
- Cornmeal can be fine or medium grind. Coarser means more bite. You can replace biscuits with day-old crusty rolls or stale brioche for texture contrast. Swap cream of mushroom for cream of celery for lighter flavor or use homemade béchamel. Honey replaces white sugar for depth and less cloying sweetness. If sausage is greasy, drain some fat before mixing, or substitute ground chicken thighs seasoned with smoked paprika and cayenne. If bread cubes aren’t drying properly in the oven, lower temp to 275°F and extend toast time but watch carefully to avoid burning.
- If you want a greener, add chopped parsley or rosemary in step 9. Instead of celery, try fennel for a subtle anise twist. Add cooked mushrooms during aromatics step for earthiness. Let stuffing sit 15 minutes after baking to reabsorb juices and improve sliceability.
Prepare biscuit component
Cook meat and aromatics
Assemble stuffing
Notes and alternatives
Technique Tips
Start with cornbread first, timing your prep so it cools before cubing—important or cornbread crumbles and clumps. Toasting bread separately gives better control over texture, allowing the cubes to dry without turning stale or burnt. Use your nose and look for golden edges to know when ready. Browning sausage well locks in flavor and fat helps coat bread evenly. Don’t skip the butter sweat step with onions and celery; it unlocks sweetness and softens texture, preventing raw vegetable crunch in final bake. Herbs toasted briefly at the end release essential oils but avoid burning. Mix wet binder until just combined—overmixing leads to dense stuffing. When baking final dish, watch surface for bubbling juices and toasted edges. If you see too much moisture pooling, tent loosely with foil to prevent drying while finishing cook. Let resting time after bake firm the custard so it slices clean and serves neatly. These tactile and sensory cues, not just minute count, are most reliable when juggling holiday kitchen timing.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Start with the cornbread first—let it cool completely before cutting. If not, it crumbles. Not what you want. Toasting the bread separately? Crucial. It controls crunch. Don't skip this.
- 💡 Adjusting ingredients matters. Prefer fresh herbs? Add towards end of sautéing. Tick tock, don’t overcook—release oils fast. Dried herbs much stronger. Use sparingly, taste-test.
- 💡 If sausage is greasy, drain some before mixing. Texture issues arise otherwise. Substitute chicken thighs, still good. Spice it with paprika for flavor. Browning sausage? Listen for that sizzle. Golden bits signal readiness.
- 💡 Cream soup swaps work too—cream of celery instead. Still savory. Stale bread could absorb more broth. Gauge and adjust. Dry bread? Lower oven temp. Control moisture—don’t make a soup.
- 💡 Resting the stuffing is key—ten minutes helps custard set. Slices hold better. Gravy to drown it? Skip that initial sog factor. Crispy edges needed too. If edges brown too fast? Cover with foil.
Kitchen Wisdom
Why is my stuffing dry?
Check your moisture levels. A bit more broth could help. Too long in oven? Prevent it—watch for bubbling edges.
What can I use instead of biscuits?
Day-old rolls or brioche? Works fine. Stale is better than fresh for texture balance. They absorb too much broth otherwise.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, freeze before baking. Thaw overnight before cooking. Need to adjust baking time if frozen. Keeps the flavors intact.
What if I ran out of chicken broth?
Not a worry. Water does work but try adding more seasonings. Or use half water, half broth mix. Gets you through.
